In the years since Norah had left Oregon, Sherry had been busy studying and working toward her degree, too absorbed in her goal to find time for relationships. But now she was ready. She wanted the love her friends had found, the excitement, the thrill of meeting that special someone. She wanted a man who felt about her the way Luke felt about Ellie. A man who’d look at her like Colby Winston looked at Valerie Bloomfield.

Cody brought the truck to a stop behind Sherry’s car. Sherry unbuckled the seat belt and reached for her purse and medical bag.

“I really appreciate the ride,” she said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

“You’re welcome.” He briefly took her hand, then leaped from the cab and came around to help her down. When his hands circled her waist, his eyes held hers. For the longest moment she didn’t move, couldn’t move, as if his touch had caused some strange paralysis. But when he shifted his gaze away, she placed her hands on his shoulders and allowed him to set her on the ground. As she met his eyes again, she saw surprise and a twinge of regret.

Cody eased away from her, and Sherry sensed that an invisible barrier had been erected between them. Irritation seemed to flicker through him. “I’m not going to apologize for kissing you last night,” he said abruptly.

“But you regret it?”

“Yes, more now than before.”

The harsh edge in his voice shocked her. “Why?” Her voice fell to a whisper.

“Because it’s going to be difficult not to do it again.” With that, he stalked back to the driver’s side of the pickup, climbed in and roared off.

Sherry got into her car and drove the short distance to the clinic, parking in the small lot behind the building. When she walked in the front door, Mrs. Colson broke into a delighted smile. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks. Ellie had a beautiful baby boy.”

“So I heard. Word spreads fast around here. Ellie claims she’ll never have another baby without you there. She thinks you’re the best thing that’s happened to Pepper since we voted in sewers last November.”

Sherry laughed. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Doc Lindsey?”

“Yes. He called this morning to see if everything was working out.”

Sherry was relieved. At least the physician had some sense of responsibility. “I want to talk to him when he phones in again.”

“No problem. He wants to talk to you, too. Apparently there’s been a misunderstanding—you weren’t scheduled to begin work for another two weeks.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone,” Sherry said emphatically. “I made the mistake of driving through town, and everyone figured that because I was here I was starting right away.”

Mrs. Colson fiddled with a folder from the file drawer, pulling out a sheet of paper and glancing through its contents. “Doc’s right. It’s in the contract, plain as day. So, why are you here so early?”